OSEC

Neohapsis is currently accepting applications for employment. For more information, please visit our website www.neohapsis.com or email hr@neohapsis.com
 
Multiple vendor SOAP server (XML parser) denial of service (DTD parameter entities)

From: Amit Klein (Amit.KleinSanctumInc.com)
Date: Thu Dec 11 2003 - 11:58:17 CST

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//==========================>> Security Advisory
<<==========================//
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----[ Multiple vendor SOAP server (XML parser) denial of service
                       (DTD parameter entities)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--[ Author: Amit Klein, Sanctum inc. http://www.SanctumInc.com

--[ Vendors alerted: August 28th, 2003

--[ Release Date: December 11th, 2003

--[ Product:
 
IBM WebSphere 5.0.0 (even when patched with "old" PQ70921)

Microsoft ASP.NET Web Services (.NET framework 1.0, .NET framework 1.1)

... And probably other products which use XML parsers
 
--[ Severity: High

--[ CVE: N/A

--[ Description

The DTD part of the XML document enables the document to define parameter
entities, which are used (only) inside the DTD as a shortname for repeating
DTD definitions. An attacker can send a specially crafted SOAP request,
which
makes use of parameter entities to inflict a denial of service condition on
the server. In some cases, the parser returns an out of memory error
after a long while.
In some other cases, the CPU load remains stable at 100% for as long as
the process
keeps running. Another effect is that memory (hundreds of megabytes) was
not freed
even when the CPU load dropped and a response was issued.

--[ Solution

IBM WebSPhere 5.0.0 - IBM has released a new version of PQ70921 Which
can be found in
http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=180&context=SSEQTP&q=PQ70921&uid=swg24005582
Apply the new patch PQ70921 (even if it was applied earlier).

Microsoft ASP.NET Web Services - Microsoft has released an update to the
.NET Framework.
It is documented in Knowledge Base article 826231, at the following URL:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=826231